Operating mechanism for teaching machine



L. E. MOELLER Aug. 9, 1966 OPERATING MECHANISM FOR TEACHING MACHINE Filed Jan. 18, 1965 78 FIG. 3

INVENTOR L E MOELLER FIG; 2

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,264,758 OPERATING MECHANISM FOR TEACHING MACHINE Lloyd E. Moeller, Davenport, Iowa, assignor to Mast Development Co., Davenport, Iowa, a corporation of Iowa Filed Jan. 18, 1965, Ser. No. 426,111 Claims. (Cl. 35-9) This invention relates to improved and simplified operating mechanism for a teaching machine or the like wherein sequences of instructional or demonstrative formats, contained on film or the like, are projected to a screen that is a self-contained part of the apparatus and on which the individual student, for example, views the projected matter as :he advances the film, etc. by mechanism under his immediate control. A good exam- -ple of a teaching machine of this general character forms the subject matter of assignees copending application Ser. No. 179,377, filed March 13, 1962.

The data-sequencing means in the machine of the above application is electrically operated by operatorcontrolled buttons wired into an electrical circuit containing a driving motor. The main object of the present invention is to simplify the machine by the provision of manual controls functioning through mechanical linkages, thus affording what may be regarded as a low-cost or economy model while still retaining the other advantages of a more expensive machine. It is a further object to provide a linkage system that may be easily assembled and removed, and one that may be designed for use in a machine common to both the electrical and mechanical models. Further objects reside in novel detachable connections among the moving parts, the supporting of parts upon each other so as to minimize mountings on the machine casing, and the arrangement of the parts so as to afford the fullest view of the screen.

The foregoing objects and other significant features will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective of the machine, the operating mechanism being shown in full lines and the casing in part in full and in part in broken lines;

FIGURE 2 is a section generally on line 2-2 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is a perspective of one of the mounting means for an operating lever.

The teaching machine comprises a support or casing 10 having a front end defined by a rectangular frame 12 whichmounts a viewing screen 14. The casing has opposite upright sidewalls 16, a top or upper portion 18, a bottom portion and a rear end 22. An optical system, not shown but which may be of the type disclosed in the above application, projects data, usually contained on film, etc. to the screen 14. Such film is advanced by suitable transport means, the details of which are not material here. Part of this means includes a transport member or plate 24 carried by an upper intermediate portion of the casing 10 as by slot and pin means 26 which mount the plate for back and forth movement'transversely of the casing through a range limited by a pair of stops 28. The plate is shown in FIG. 1 in a central position. It advances the film, for example, in increments of one frame to the right per operation of the operating mechanism (to be described) and by means of a pawl (not shown) ratchets back to the left and re-engages the film for another ad- Vance to the right, the film being perforated for this purpose. It is known also to provide a shutter, not material here, to cover part of the film (or screen) on each advance stroke and to uncover on each return stroke,

3,264,758 Patented August 9, i966 as where the instructional format is in the form of questions and answers. This much is explained here merely as environmental to the reciprocatory motion of the transport plate.

In the more expensive models of the teaching machine, the advance and return strokes of the transport plate are powered by an electric motor under control of push buttons or the like convenient to either the student or the teacher. Accotrding to the present invention, a simplified manual control is provided for manipulation by the student, who will face the screen and who will advance the film etc. according to instructions. He will do this by the mechanical linkage best shown in full lines in FIGURE 1.

This linkage includes an oscillating member 30 and a pair of generally L-shaped levers 32 and 34, the lever 32 being here at the users right and operative to swing the oscillating member 30 to the right (or clockwise as seen from above) about pivot means 36. The member 30 has a rear end 3 8 formed with a reanwardly projecting tongue 40 which affords an operative connection to the plate 24 by receipt thereof in a plate aperture 42. The connection 40-42 is separable in a fore-and-aft direction. The pivot means 36 is a stud or pin 44 afixed to a transverse front part 46 of the member 30 and received in an aperture 48 in a central part of the casing top portion 18.

The front part 46 of the member 30 has opposite lateral portions 50 and 52 provided respectively with apertures 54 and 56 to receive tongues 58 and 60 respectively on the upper ends of the levers 32 and 34. The ends 50 and 52 are bent down at 62 and 64 respectively to increase the strength thereof in the areas of the respective apertures or openings 34 and 56. The operative connections 54-58 and 56-60, like that at 40 42, are articulate, allowing freedom of movement without undesirable play. Also, these connections, 54- 58 and 56-60 are separable, here vertically, as will be explained below.

The casing side walls 16 have affixed thereto right and left hand coaxial pivot pins 66 and 68, respectively, that rockably mount the levers 32 and 34 respectively. These pins may be welded, for example to their respective side walls and together from lower horizontal pivot means adjacent to the lower front of the casing, generally directly below the upper vertical pivot means 36.

The levers 32 and 34 project at their lower, for-ward ends beyond the front end of the casing and respectively have finger pads 70 and 72 thereon to facilitate operation. Depressing the right hand pad 70 will rock the lever 32 to advance the transport plate, and this motion results in rocking the other lever 34 in the opposite direction, raising the left hand pad 72. The linkage will remain advanced because of inherent friction in the parts until the left hand pad 72 is depressed to return the plate 24 for another advance by the right hand pad and so on.

Each lever 30, 32 is suitably apeitured intermediate its ends, as suggested at 74 in FIGURE 1 for the lever 32, so that the levers are laterally outwardly mountable on their respective pivots 66 and 68. Each connection is thus laterally inwardly separable but is maintained by resilient means acting against the respective lever and reacting against the casing. This is achieved for the lever 34 by a strip 76 of resilient material, such as spring steel, apertured at one end at 7 8 to fit the pin 68 and notched at its other end at 80 to engage an abutment or stud 82 fixed to the casing bottom adjacent to the lever mounting. The strip is slightly deformed in installation so that it has enough bias to remain in place as well as to exert a lateral force against the lever 34 to eliminate looseness. A simi- 3 6 with the casing. The ease of assembly and disassembly of the manual,linkagerelative-tothe casing makes it possible, as a matter. of cutting costs in production, to 1 use a casing that lends itself to both deluxe and economy models. The lever pivots, etc. may be used, if desired, in both models. Unused parts in one model are eithernot present in the other model or, if retained, do not interfere with parts peculiar to one model orthe othert The parts" are simple in design and easy to :manufacture yet possess the requisite strength for long life.

Features and advantages other than those enumerated i will readily occur to those versed in the art, as will many variations in the embodiment disclosed, all without de, parture from the spirit and scope of the invention;

What is claimed is:

1. A teaching machine, comprising: a casing having front and rear ends, opposite side walls, and upper and bottom portions; a transport member disposed rearward- -ly of said front end and adjacent to said upper portion and carried by and for movement back andforth transversely of the casing; vertical pivot means carried by said upper portion adjacent to said front end and generally midway between the side walls; a fore-and-aft os cillatingmember having a rear end including arear: operative connection to the transport member and a opposite lateral portions respectively adjacently'inwardly of said side Walls; transversely coaxial horizontal pivot means carried by the side walls adjacentto said front endof the casing; and a pair of generally L-shaped levers lying respectively closely iniwardly of the side walls and I including upper ends respectively having upper operative connections to the lateral portions of the oscillating member, forward ends projecting at the front end of the casing, and intermediate portions carried by the horizontal pivot means;

forward end carried by the-pivot means andincluding 1 2. ,The invention defined in claim 1, in'which: the? horizontal pivot means comprises a pair of pins respectively carried by and projecting inwardly from theside walls, each lever is apertured to be received by its pin, and means is provided for retaining each lever on its pin.

3. The invention defined in claim-2, in which: each retaining means is a resilient element having oneend acting against its lever and its otherend engaging and portion, :said one end of the element removably engaging the pin and said other end removably engaging said proximate part of the bottom portion.

4. The invention defined in claim 3, in which? each of said parts of the bottom portion includes anabutment and each element has an aperture at its one end receiving the pin and a notch at its other end engaging the associated abutment.

5; The invention defined in claim 1, in which: each operative connection'is separable, said rear connection reacting against a proximate part of the casing bottom including an aperture'in the transport member anda co.- I

operative tongue onthe'oscillating member, and each upper connection including :an aperture in each lateral portion and a cooperativetongue :on each lever upper= end; and the vertical pivot means-is constructed to enable downward removal of the oscillating member from the casing upper portion;

6: The invention defined. in claim 1, f in which:: the

vertical pivot means is l constructed to enable downward removal of the forward end of the oscillating member:

from said casingupper, portion and said forward end is resilientand biased to act upwardly at'said vertical pivot means and to react, downwardly .at, its lateral, portions 1 respectively on the levers.

7. The invention defined iniclaim *6; in which: said vertical means includes an aperture in said upper portion and a cooperative .pin:fixedtto andprojecting up said forward end of" the. oscillating member.

8i A teaching .rnachine, comprising; acasing having front and reane-nds and opposite sides, upper and bottom portions; a transport member disposedrearwardly of:said front end and carried by andfor movement backiand forth transversely of the casing; .vertical pivot, means carried by said upper portion between the transport mem: her and said frontend and generally midway between the side portions; a fore-and-aft oscillating member having, a rear .end including a rearv operative connection to the transport ,member'and a forward end carried by the pivot meausand including-opposite lateralv portions respectively adjacently inwardly of: said side portions; transversely coaxial horizontal pivot-means carriedriby the.

casing adjacent to said bottomportion; and. a pair of levers lyin'g respectively closely inwardly of the side walls and including rear ends respectively] having operative connections to. the lateral portions of the oscillating mem:

ber, forward, ends projecting at the front end of the cas ing, and intermediate portions carried by the horizontal pivot means.

9; The invention: declined in :claim; 8, in iwhich:v the horizontal pivot meanscomprises a pair of pins respectively' carried by and projecting inwardly from the .side portions, eachleverisiapertured to bereceived by its pin, and means is provided'forretainingeach lever on,

its pin.

10. The invention defined in claimv8, in which: each operative connection is separable saidvrear connection including an aperturein the transport memberwaud a cooperative tongueonthe oscillating member, and each lateral portion of the :oscillatin'g member including an aperture and each rear end having a cooperative tongue 1 thereon; and the vertical pivot means is constructed to enable downward :removal of. the oscillating member from the casing upper portion;

References Cited by theiExaminer UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,987,828 6/ L961 Skinner 35-9; 3,120,708 2/1964 Silber. i 35-9 3,148,457 9/1964 Nickl et a1. 359

3,157,955 11/196'4 Pfeifi'er; 35'9 3,175,303 3/ 1965 1 Kirk-connell 359 3,200,513 8/1965 Blyth et al. 359

EUGENE R: .CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner.

S. M. 2 BENDER, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A TEACHING MACHINE, COMPRISING: A CASING HAVING FRONT AND REAR ENDS, OPPOSITE SIDE WALLS, AND UPPER AND BOTTOM PORTIONS; A TRANSPORT MEMBER DISPOSED REARWARDLY OF SAID FRONT END AND ADJACENT TO SAID UPPER PORTION AND CARRIED BY AND FOR MOVEMENT BACK AND FORTH TRANSVERSELY OF THE CASING; VERTICAL PIVOT MEANS CARRIED BY SAID UPPER PORTION ADJACENT TO SAID FRONT END AND GENERALLY MIDWAY BETWEEN THE SIDE WALLS; A FORE-AND-AFT OSCIALLATING MEMBER HAVING A REAR END INCLUDING A REAR OPERATIVE CONNECTION TO THE TRANSPORT MEMBER AND A FORWARD END CARRIED BY THE PIVOT MEANS AND INCLUDING OPPOSITE LATERAL PORTIONS RESPECTIVELY ADJACENT INWARDLY OF SAID SIDE WALLS; TRANSVERSELY COAXIAL HORIZONTAL INWARDLY MEANS CARRIED BY THE SIDE WALLS ADJACENT TO SAID FRONT END OF THE CASING; AND A PAIR OF GENERALLY L-SHAPED LEVERS LYING RESPECTIVELY CLOSELY INWARDLY TO THE SIDE WALLS AND INCLUDING UPPER ENDS RESPECTIVELY HAVING UPPER OPERATIVE CONNECTIONS TO THE LATERAL PORTIONS OF THE OSCILLATING MEMBER, FORWARD ENDS PROJECTING AT THE FRONT END OF THE CASING, AND INTERMEDIATE PORTIONS CARRIED BY THE HORIZONTAL PIVOT MEANS. 